


How Rare And Beautiful It Is That We Exist

by RagingBookDragon



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Death, Family Bonding, Father-Son Relationship, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Parent Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:34:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22079284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RagingBookDragon/pseuds/RagingBookDragon
Summary: An overdue Father/Son Bonding day takes a turn for the worse when Bruce and Jason step onto Park Row...better known as Crime Alley.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	How Rare And Beautiful It Is That We Exist

**Author's Note:**

> This was actually a collaboration between livia-art and I from Tumblr! Her page is "livia-art" go check her out! This is from my Tumblr "RagingBookDragon" and I hope you enjoy it. (P.S. I'm still new to AO3 so I'm currently trying to figure how to post the art with it! If it doesn't show up, visit one of our Tumblrs to see it there!)  
> Based off the song 'Saturn' by Sleeping At Last

He stood in front of the mirror adjusting the tie, fingers slipping up and down the silky fabric. Hesitation drilled into his mind as he paused, taking in his reflection. It had been years since he’d put on a suit that wasn’t made of Kevlar and tri-weave titanium. Years since he’d attended any type of higher-class function. Jason inhaled deeply, pulling the tie up the base of his throat before he tugged at the bottom of the suit jacket, satisfied that this was the best he was going to look. About that time, the doorbell rang, and he turned, making his way to the front door. His hand curled around the doorknob and he twisted it, pulling it open to reveal his father, lightly smiling at him. “Jason. Good to see you.” Jason offered him a grin in return, accepting the hug Bruce gave him.  
  
“Good to see me? You saw me two days ago?” Bruce laughed as he released his son, watching him close the door, then begin their walk down the hallway and stairs.  
  
“What can I say? I miss my sons. Even my favorite one.” Something warm spread through Jason’s chest, but instead of commenting on it, he returned,  
  
“Don’t let Dick and Damian hear you say that…they’ll get jealous.” Bruce stopped in front of the door, holding it open for them.  
  
“Isn’t Tim included in that?” His son gave an amused grunt as he stepped through the door, waiting for Bruce to follow.  
  
“Tim knows he’s not the favorite by a longshot.” He watched Bruce frown momentarily before murmuring,  
  
“I’ll need to remind him he’s my second favorite when I get home then.” They climbed into the waiting car, sliding into the backseats. As Jason fastened his seatbelt, he glanced at Bruce and asked,  
  
“How come you didn’t bring along the rest of them anyway? Shouldn’t this be a family event?” Bruce paused, hands slowing over the seatbelt he pulled at; a moment passed by, then he replied,  
  
“…You and I haven’t spent any time together unless it was on patrol…I think we’re long overdue for some father-son time…” He looked at Jason, doubt running through steel-blue eyes as he hesitated, “…Does it bother you? If it does, I can call Dick and the others. I wouldn’t want-” Jason reached over, placing a hand on his shoulder, an easy smile on his lips as he reassured,  
  
“Bruce…it’s okay.” He squeezed his shoulder gently, adding, “And it is long overdue.” The relieved look that crossed Bruce’s features almost made him chuckle, but he swallowed it down, pulling his hand away and quipped, “Just please don’t tell me that I’m gonna have to suck up to the socialites…god, I hate doing that.” Bruce snorted, shaking his head.  
  
“Don’t worry. The theatre box we’ll be in is just us.” Jason raised an eyebrow at that and questioned,  
  
“We’re going to the movies?” His father hummed, gaze drifting out the window as he absentmindedly replied,  
  
“Theatre. We’re watching a play.” The reply made Jason roll his eyes and he mocked lowly,  
  
_“Theatre. We’re watching a play. Should’ve said music hall instead.”_ Bruce gave no answer other than a quiet chuckle, and a few moments later, they were stepping inside the theatre, climbing the steps to the box. Jason lagged Bruce a few steps, hand tightening around the railing as he asked, “So, what are we watching?” They stepped into the box, taking their seats, gazes shifting to the stage; something in Bruce’s expression made him apprehensive, then Bruce disclosed,  
  
“The Mark of Zorro.” Jason’s expression went slack as the words failed him, and when he finally found them, he whispered,  
  
“…Are you sure you want to be here…to see this Bruce?” He watched Bruce’s jaw clench slightly, and after a minute, he nodded.  
  
“…Despite the tragedy that I faced that night…it was one of the best nights I’d ever had…with both my parents…” He looked over at Jason, eyes sad, but warm all the same. “I want to share this with you…son.” Jason blinked, the lump starting to grow in his throat, and tried to speak, but instead managed a simple nod. Bruce smiled in return, and the theatre began to darken, guiding their eyes back to the stage.  
  
 **A Few Hours Later:  
**  
 _ **“THAT WAS GREAT! OH MAN I’D FORGOTTEN HOW MUCH FUN PLAYS WERE! BRUCE! DID YOU SEE THE DUELING THEY DID?! OH MY GOD, IT WAS GLORIOUS! THEY WERE FIGHTING WITH ACUTAL RAPIERS! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD IT IS TO FIGHT WITH A RAPIER?! IT’S INSANE!”**_ Bruce observed Jason’s ecstatic words, grinning as he watched him imitate the motions of the previous duel. _**“OH, AND THE ENDING! THE PICTURE FALLING AND THE ‘Z’ BEING THERE! OH, IT WAS SUCH…POETIC CINEMA!”**_ He couldn’t help the snort that come from him, and as Jason’s head whipped his way, he raised a hand to his mouth, coughing to cover it. **_“ARE YOU LAUGHING AT ME?!”_** Bruce grinned, shaking his head.  
  
_“I’d never laugh at you Jason. Never.”  
_  
 _**“YOU’RE LYING RIGHT NOW! YOU JUST SNORTED! THAT COUNTS AS LAUGHING!”**_ The longer he ranted, the more humorous it became, and ultimately, Bruce broke down, laughter flowing from him. Jason watched, ranting a few more times, but eventually joined him. When they finally calmed, they were wiping tears from their eyes with one hand, the other rubbing at their stomachs; Jason sucked in some air, letting out a breathy chuckle. **_“I haven’t laughed that hard in forever.”_** Bruce nodded, reaching up to rub his aching jaw.  
  
 _“Agreed.”_ Jason reached over, elbowing him in the side.  
  
**_“I forgot you could laugh Bruce.”_** His father stopped, the joyful expression quickly replaced with a heartbreaking, sorrowful one.  
  
 _“…I didn’t laugh a lot after you were gone…didn’t feel like it.”_ Jason’s face dropped as well, the memories of a darker time coming back to the surface. He shifted his weight between his feet, eyes staring downwards so he didn’t have to look at Bruce; he didn’t want to see the pain etched across his face. _“Things got easier after Tim came along…but he always saw himself as stand-in…never the son I thought he was.”_ Jason inhaled deeply, gathering the courage to look back at his father and say,  
  
 ** _“Things are better now than they were Bruce.”_** His father tried to smile, but could only form a grimace, nodding along.  
  
_“…They are…”_ Bruce took a breath, looking up at the sky before he shifted his gaze back down, a small smile on his face; he tipped his head to the side. _“Let’s get out of here and go home.”_ Jason nodded, feet beginning to shift in the direction of the entrance when a shadow fell across them. A glint of silver shone in the moonlight, the sharp snap of the hammer followed by a bright flash rocked their senses, and Bruce reacted, sliding between the _bullet_ and _Jason_.  
  
 _ **You taught me the courage of stars before you left.**_  
 _ **How light carries on endlessly, even after death.**_  
 _ **With shortness of breath, you explained the infinite.**_  
 _ **How rare and beautiful it is, to even exist.  
**_  
Everything shifted as time distorted, and Jason watched, teal eyes widening with each passing second as Bruce jerked backwards, knees beginning to collapse under him. Jason first instinct was to apprehend the fleeing shooter, but the more pressing matter of Bruce collapsing outranked it; he caught Bruce as he dropped, arms winding around his chest, hands seeking out wherever the bullet had entered. They hit the ground, Bruce’s shoulders pressed back against Jason’s chest, head resting against his clavicle. Jason stared in horror as the crimson liquid spread, staining the pristine white shirt Bruce had on. He reached forward, fingers splaying against the center of Bruce’s chest, hissing, **_“Shit. Shit. Shit.”_** He looked around, voice panicky. **_“Bruce where’s your cellphone? I need to call an ambulance.”_** Bruce groaned, shaking his head, voice soft as he teased,  
  
 _“Left it in the car…not polite to bring cellphones into…theatres...”_ Had the situation not been so dire, Jason would’ve laughed, but the reality was beaming down on him, the alley walls closing tighter and tighter around them and he spat,  
  
 ** _“Oh, come on! You’re always prepared! You’re gonna tell me the one-time you’re shot you’re not carrying a phone?!”_** The blood started to slip between his fingers, making his grip weak as he pressed harder, and he angrily continued, **_“What were you thinking?! Why would you do something like this?!”_** Bruce shook his head at Jason’s words, and he let out a low curse, sighing, **_“Look, someone must’ve heard the gun go off. Help is gonna find us, Bruce. Don’t worry.”_** His father gave a weak chuckle, steel-blue eyes catching Jason’s for a moment before he glanced upwards to the sky and murmured,  
  
_“Look at all of them Jay…the stars…how courageous they are to keep shining even after they’ve died.”_ His gaze drifted back to Jason’s and he praised, _“Just like you...so strong-willed and-”_ Bruce’s voice faltered, breathing heavily and swallowing thickly as he pushed the words out. _“Passionate…everything is everlasting Jason…life and death are just terms…just…stages of existence…but rarity and beauty…comes through living…through existing…”_ He paused, smiling at Jason, pearly white teeth stained red. _“Your existence is up there, Jay…with the best of them all…and all that greatness out there? The universe and all it has? That’s all for you to see Jay…for your eyes…”  
_  
 ** _I couldn’t help but ask, for you to say it all again._**  
 ** _I tried to write it down, but I could never find a pen._**  
 ** _I’d give anything to hear you say it one more time,_**  
 ** _That the universe was made just to be seen by my eyes.  
_**  
Jason sucked in a breath, but it didn’t do any good. His lungs were on fire and his chest burned as if he’d inhaled smoke from a wildfire. He could barely see Bruce’s face anymore, vision too blurred by the endless number of tears streaming down his face. He choked on his breath, stuttering out, **_“Stay-stay awake old man. Help is coming.”_** Bruce’s breathing had quieted, no longer the heavy puffs in and out he’d taken just moments earlier; he hummed lowly.  
  
 _“Just…restin’ my…eyes Jay…”_ Jason groaned, curling his arms tighter around his chest.  
  
 ** _“No-no-no. Don’t do that.”_** He formed a smile, breathing out, **_“Tell me again about the universe. How it’s all for me to see.”_** The corners of Bruce’s lips turned upwards, and he murmured,  
  
_“…Got a…pen?”_ Jason shifted his hands, right pressing tightly to the wound, the other searching his suit pockets. After a moment, he frowned and whispered,  
  
**_“I can’t find one.”_** He dropped his head against Bruce’s, chin propped on his head. **_“C’mon old man…tell me again…I’ll give anything for it.”_ **He clenched his eyes shut, the pressure forcing more tears down his cheeks, then he felt a hand brush in his hair, and he shifted, opening his eyes to look down, seeing Bruce smile faintly at him.  
  
 _“It’s all for you Jay…all the universe…everything…”_ His lips wobbled as he nodded and acknowledged,  
  
 ** _“Thank you…dad.”_ **As if he’d been given a few seconds more of life, Bruce’s smile grew and he breathed gently,  
  
 _“I’m proud…of you…Jason…always have been…always…will be…”_ The hand softly patting his hair began to slip, and Jason’s heart stopped as he heard, _“…Love you…son…”_ Jason’s hand shot forward, gripping Bruce’s, the words tumbling from his mouth like a cascade of rapid waters.  
  
**_“Dad don’t go. Please don’t go. I love you too dad. Please just…don’t leave me here by myself.”_ **This time, his pleas sparked no response, and Jason shifted, pulling Bruce against him, one arm crossing Bruce’s chest, the other cradling his head. His fingers brushed against his father’s temple, pushing the hair from his sweat-slicked forehead. Warmth spread across his fingertips, but Jason didn’t feel any of it…all he felt was cold…and freezing. His jaw clenched, the air restricting in his lungs as he tried to take a breath in. Warmth flowed down his cheeks as he shut his eyes, grip tightening as he began to rock slightly. Too many emotions built up at once: anger, hurt, pain, sorrow, but all he could manage were silent tears. Another flash of light surrounded him, the piercing shrill of a siren in his ears, but he heard nothing, felt nothing.   
  
Jason opened his eyes, tipping his head up to the sky, gaze attended by the billions of twinkling stars above him, as if they would save him.  
  
 ** _With shortness of breath, I’ll explain the infinite._**  
 ** _How rare, and beautiful it truly is, that we exist._**


End file.
